[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book II)]
[September 3, 2004]
[Pages 1863-1870]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks in Moosic, Pennsylvania
September 3, 2004
The President. Thank you all. Thank you all very much. Thank you for
coming. I appreciate so many people getting up so early. Laura and I are here to ask for the vote. We're here to let
you know that I understand there's more to do to make this country a
safer place, a stronger place, and a better place for every American. So
we're here; we're pleased to be in Lackawanna County in this beautiful
setting. Thanks for having us.
Before I begin, I do--I do know you'll join me in offering our
prayers and best wishes to those in the path of the Hurricane Frances.
There's been some devastation in the State of Florida. There's likely to
be more devastation. And so I've ordered Federal teams to be in position
to help the good people of that State, but the best thing we can do here
is to offer our prayers.
Audience member. I can't hear you! [Laughter]
The President. Maybe it's because I gave--maybe it's because I
talked too much last night, you know. [Laughter] I enjoyed giving that
speech last night, and I am so proud that your State made my nomination
official. And with your help, your State of Pennsylvania will be a
significant reason we are reelected for 4 more years.
Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
The President. Laura set the bar pretty high
when she gave her speech at the convention. She is--what a great First
Lady, a wonderful mom, a terrific wife. Listen, I'm going to give you
some reasons why I think you ought to put me back in, but perhaps the
most important one of all is so that Laura is First Lady for 4 more
years.
I'm proud of my runningmate, Dick Cheney. He
doesn't have the longest and prettiest hair in the race. [Laughter] I
didn't pick him for his hair. I picked him for his judgment, experience,
and because he can get the job done.
I appreciate the fact that Senator Arlen Specter is with us today. Put him back in
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for 6 more years in the Senate. Look who is next to him, Rick
Santorum, United States Senator. Congressman
Don Sherwood is here as well. I appreciate you
being here, Congressman--good man.
Mayor Lou Barletta is with us from
Hazelton, Pennsylvania. Hey, Lou, fill the potholes. [Laughter] I
appreciate David Wenzel, the former mayor of
Scranton, who is with us here today. David, thank you for coming. My
friend Bill Scranton is with us here. I
appreciate him coming. I want to thank all the candidates who are here.
I want to thank my friend Mark Chesnutt.
He's great, isn't he? Bubba Shot the Jukebox. He's from Beaumont, Texas,
and I appreciate him lending his talent to come. I hope you enjoy him as
much as I--I love his music.
Most of all, I want to thank the grassroots activists who are here,
the people who put up the signs and make the phone calls and encourage
people to register to vote. See, I think we have a duty in this country
to vote. In a free land, we have a duty to vote. And I'm asking you to
register your friends and neighbors to vote. Register Republicans,
register independents, register discerning Democrats--like Zell
Miller of Georgia, he's a discerning Democrat--
and then kind of head them to the poll. And when you get them there,
remind them that George Bush and Dick Cheney are
ready to lead this country for 4 more years.
Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
The President. Now, we're coming down the stretch in this race. We
got less than 2 months to go. And this is a historic national election.
It's a time for choosing. It's going to come down to the records we've
built, the convictions we hold, and the vision that guides us forward.
Over the next 2 months, I'm looking forward to traveling our country,
telling people where I intend to lead our country, and telling people
what I believe.
I believe every child can learn in America, and then I believe every
school must teach. That's why we passed important education reform that
challenges the soft bigotry of low expectations, that says we must
measure to determine whether a child can read, and if not, correct
problems early before they're too late; that says that local folks ought
to be in charge of the schools. It's a plan--we're making good progress
across this country, and we're not turning back.
I believe we have a moral responsibility to our seniors. That's why
I've worked with Republicans and Democrats to strengthen Medicare. Our
seniors now get help buying medicine, and soon every senior will be able
to have coverage for prescription drugs. It doesn't make any sense to
pay $100,000 for heart surgery and not pay for the medicine to prevent
the heart surgery from happening in the first place. We're making
progress in honoring our commitment to our seniors, and we're not
turning back.
I believe the role of Government is not to try to create wealth but
an environment in which the entrepreneur, the small business, the
farmer, and the rancher can survive. I believe in the spirit and
innovative power of the American worker, and that is why we unleashed
the energy of our economy with the largest tax relief in decades.
Because we acted, our economy is growing again. Because we acted,
we've overcome recession, scandal, stock market decline, and a terrorist
attack. This morning, we received jobs report for August, and it shows
that our economy is strong and getting stronger. We added 144,000 new
jobs, plus revisions of about 60,000 for the previous month, which means
we've increased jobs over the last 2 months by over 200,000 jobs.
Overall, we've added about 1.7 million new jobs since August of '03. The
unemployment rate is now down to 5.4 percent. That's nearly a full point
below the rate last summer and below the average
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of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The unemployment rate in Pennsylvania is
5.3 percent. Our growing economy is spreading prosperity and
opportunity, and nothing will hold us back.
I will continue to travel our country telling people what I believe,
and I believe the most solemn duty of the President is to protect the
American people. If America shows uncertainty and weakness in this
decade, the world will drift toward tragedy. This will not happen on my
watch.
Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
The President. I am running for President with a clear and positive
plan to build a safer world and a more hopeful America. I'm running with
a compassionate conservative philosophy that says Government should help
people improve their lives, not try to run their lives. As I travel this
country, I know that this Nation wants steady, consistent, principled
leadership, and that is why, with your help, we're going to win 4 more
years.
Last night I spent time talking about how the world in which we live
is changing. Women now work outside the home as well as work inside the
home. Many people change jobs. It's a changing world, and the role of
Government is to take the side of our workers and families in a time of
change. Most of the fundamental systems of today, the Tax Code and
health coverage and pension plans and worker training, were created for
the world of yesterday, not tomorrow. I'm running for 4 more years to
change those fundamental systems so more Americans can realize the great
promise of our country.
My plan begins--any good plan begins with making sure our economy
continues to grow. The global market is expanding and creating new
markets and new competition. My view is, to create more jobs here in
America, this has got to be the best place in the world to do business.
That's why we will expand trade in a fair way. Look, we open up our
markets, and it's good for you that we do. See, if you have more
choices, you're likely to get a product you want at a better price and
higher quality. What I'm saying when it comes to trade to other
countries is you treat us the way we treat you. We can compete with
anybody, anywhere, anytime, so long as the playing field is level.
But we've got to get rid of these junk lawsuits that threaten our
small-business owners. We've got to trim back needless regulations that
make it hard for people to employ people. In order to make sure that the
economy expands, we've got to be wise about how we spend your money, and
we've got to keep your taxes low.
We have a difference in this campaign on low taxes. I'm running
against a fellow who has promised over $2
trillion of new spending so far.
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. Yes. And we're just coming down the stretch. By the
way, 2 trillion is a lot of money to promise, even for a Senator from
Massachusetts. And now they said--so they asked him, ``How are you going to pay for it?'' And he said,
``Well, I'll pay for it all by taxing the rich.'' Two things wrong with
that: One is you can't raise enough money by so-called taxing the rich
to pay for his promises, which means somebody else is going to get stuck
with the bill. But the other thing is, you've heard that rhetoric
before, haven't you?
Audience members. Yes!
The President. Yes, tax the rich. You know what that means. They
dodge; you pay. But we're not going to let him,
because we're going to win in November.
A drag in our economy is the Federal Tax Code, which is a
complicated mess. You know, it is filled with special interest
loopholes. Our people spend 6 billion hours of paperwork and headache
every year. The American people deserve and our economic future depends
on a simpler, fairer, progrowth Tax Code. In a second term, I will lead
a bipartisan effort to reform and simplify the Federal taxes.
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I'll tell you what else we need to do. We need to help our workers
train for the new jobs of the 21st century. In a changing world, the
jobs change, and oftentimes, there's a skills gap. And so we're going to
make sure our community college system works better for our workers.
We're going to provide more money to help workers gain the skills
necessary to fill the jobs of the 21st century.
Most new jobs are filled by people with at least 2 years of college,
and yet only about one in four of our students gets there. And so in our
high schools, we'll fund early intervention programs to help students at
risk. We will place a new focus on math and science. Over time, we will
require exit exams from high school because we want the high school
diploma to mean something. By raising performance in the high schools
and by expanding Pell grants for low- and middle-income families, we
will help more Americans start their career with a college diploma.
There's more to do to make sure quality health care is available and
affordable. More than one half of the uninsured in America are small-
business employees and their families. In order to make sure small
businesses can afford health care, we must allow small firms to join
together to purchase insurance at the discounts available to big
companies.
We will help small businesses and low-income Americans set up and
purchase health savings accounts. In a new term, I will ensure that
every poor county in America has got community health centers to make
sure that people get preventative and primary care, not in the emergency
rooms of America but in these clinics for low-income Americans. In all
we do, we'll make sure that the health decisions are made by doctors and
patient, not by bureaucrats in Washington, DC.
I want to talk about a national issue that is of concern to millions
here in Pennsylvania. Too many good doctors, too many really fine
healers are being forced out of practice because of the high cost of
junk lawsuits. You cannot be pro-doctor and pro-patient and pro-
plaintiff-attorney at the same time. You have to choose. My
opponent made his choice, and he put him on the ticket.
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. I made my choice. I'm standing with the docs and
patients. We want medical liability reform--now.
Let me give you a quick story about what I'm talking about. I'm
telling you, this is a national problem that requires a national
solution. And there is a clear difference in this campaign on this
issue. Today I met with Dr. Neal Davis from
Carbondale. [Applause] He told all his patients to come--[laughter]--and
Mary Coar, one of his patients. I want you to hear
this story because it's happening all across America.
Last November, after 15 years of practice in Pennsylvania, Dr.
Davis learned that his insurance company would no
longer insure physicians in this State because of the junk lawsuits,
because the law system here in terms of medicine is like a lottery, is
what it's like. It's unfair to patients, and it's unfair to doctors.
It's unfair to taxpayers. He found a new policy, but it said he had to
give up delivering babies as part of the coverage. That's what's
happening to ob-gyns all across the country.
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. That forced Mary, 4 months
pregnant, to start driving 50 miles each way to see different doctors--a
different doctor. When Mary's daughter arrived this summer, she was
delivered by a doctor Mary had never met. She said, ``I started to cry
when he told me he was going to have to stop delivering.'' This is
happening because the legal system is gone awry. We need medical
liability reform now.
Another priority for my administration in a new term will be an
ownership society. See, I believe when you own something, your life is
more secure; you have more dignity; and you have independence. And
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so we'll help more people own their own homes, own their own health
plan, and gain the confidence of owning a piece of their retirement.
There's nothing better in America than somebody opening their door
saying, ``Welcome to my home.'' Today, the homeownership rate in America
is at an alltime high. We will expand more homeownership over the next 4
years.
Listen, we will keep the promise of Social Security for baby boomers
and older--I happen to be a baby boomer. But younger workers need to
worry about the fiscal solvency of Social Security. We will strengthen
Social Security by allowing younger workers to save some of their taxes
in a personal account, an account they can call their own, and an
account that Government can never take away.
In a world of change, there are some things that won't change, the
values we try to live by, the institutions that give our lives meaning
and purpose. Because family and work are sources of stability and
dignity, I support welfare reform that strengthen family and require
work.
I support a culture of life in which every person matters and every
person counts. Because religious charities provide a safety net of mercy
and compassion, our Government must never discriminate against those
programs. I support marriage and family, which are the foundations of
our society. And I will continue to appoint Federal judges who know the
difference between personal opinion and the strict interpretation of the
law.
When he was campaigning out--I think it was in the Midwest, my
opponent announced he was the candidate of
``conservative values.''
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. Which must have confused a lot of his supporters. [Laughter] See, if you say you're--if you
say that the heart and soul of America is found in Hollywood, I'm not--
I'm afraid you're not the candidate of conservative values. If you voted
against a bipartisan Defense of Marriage Act, which my
predecessor signed, you are not the
candidate of conservative values. If you consistently vote against the
rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment as my opponent has, you are
not the candidate of conservative values. There is a clear difference of
philosophy in this race. He is for expanding
Government. I am for expanding opportunity.
This election will also determine how America responds to the
continuing danger of terrorism. Since the terrible morning of September
the 11th, we have fought the terrorists across the globe, not for pride,
not for power--because the security of our country depends on it. Our
strategy is clear. We're defending the homeland. I want to thank you for
helping raise Tom Ridge. He's doing a fine job in the Department of
Homeland Security. We're transforming our military. We're reforming our
intelligence services. We will stay on the offensive. We will strike the
terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at home. And we
will continue to work to advance liberty--liberty in the broader Middle
East--because freedom will bring a future of hope and the peace we all
want. If America stays strong and resolute and determined, we will
prevail.
And our strategy is succeeding. We're making progress. Four years
ago, Afghanistan was the home base of Al Qaida. Pakistan was a transit
point for the terrorist groups. Saudi was fertile ground for terrorist
fundraising. Libya was secretly pursuing nuclear weapons. Iraq was a
gathering threat, and Al Qaida was largely unchallenged as it planned
attacks. Now, after we acted, now after the United States led--and many
have joined--the Government of a free Afghanistan is fighting terror.
Pakistan is capturing terrorists. Saudi Arabia is making raids and
arrests. Libya is dismantling its weapons programs. The army of a free
Iraq is fighting for freedom, and more than three-quarters of Al Qaida's
members and associates have been detained or killed.
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Audience members. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
[At this point, an audience member fainted.]
The President. Get another doc. Get a doctor.
This progress involves careful diplomacy, clear moral purpose, and
some tough decisions. The toughest came on Iraq. We knew Saddam
Hussein's record of aggression and support
for terror. We knew his long history of pursuing, even using weapons of
mass destruction. And we know that September the 11th requires our
country to think differently. We must confront threats before they fully
materialize. In Saddam Hussein, we saw a threat. Members of both
political parties looked at the same intelligence, remembered the same
history, and came to the same conclusion. Saddam Hussein was a threat.
My opponent, in 2002, looked at the very same
intelligence I looked at, and he came the same conclusion. See, he was
one of the Members of Congress that voted to authorize the use of force
because Saddam Hussein was a threat.
The last option for the Commander in Chief is to commit troops, and
so I went to the United Nations. See, I believe we ought to try
diplomacy before we commit troops. The United Nations passed a unanimous
resolution demanding that Saddam Hussein
disclose, disarm, or face serious consequences. The free world spoke
loud and clear. Yet Saddam Hussein, as he had for over a decade of
diplomacy, ignored the demands of the free world. As a matter of fact,
when we sent inspectors--or when the U.N. sent inspectors in, he
systematically deceived the inspectors.
We gave Saddam Hussein a final chance to
meet his responsibility to the civilized world. And when he refused, I
faced the kind of decision that comes only to the Oval Office, a
decision no President would ask for but must be prepared to make. Do I
trust the word of a madman and forget the lessons of September the 11th,
or take action to defend America? Given that choice, I will defend
America every time.
Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
The President. America and the world are safer with Saddam
Hussein sitting in a prison cell. Because we
acted to defend our country, the murderous regimes of Saddam and the
Taliban are history. More than 50 million people now live in freedom.
Democracy is on the march in a part of the world that is desperate
for freedom. You realize that over 10 million citizens have registered
to vote in the upcoming Afghan Presidential elections. It's amazing,
isn't it? Think about what life was like 3 years ago for the people of
that country. They were run by a group of barbarians, and today, they're
showing up in the thousands to exercise their right as free men and
women.
In Iraq, there's a strong leader; there's a national council; and
elections in that country are scheduled in January. See, our Nation is
standing with the people of Afghanistan and Iraq because when America
gives its word, America must keep its word.
But as importantly, we're serving a vital and historic cause that
will make our country safer. See, free societies do not export terror.
Free societies do not feed the resentment of their people. Free
governments will fight terrorists, instead of harboring them, and that
helps keep America more secure and the world more peaceful. Our mission
and goals in Afghanistan and Iraq are clear: We will help new leaders
train their armies so the Iraq and the Afghan people can defend the
freedom within their borders. We will get them on the path of stability
and democracy as quickly as possible, and then our troops will return
home with the honor they have earned.
At bases across the country, I've had the privilege of meeting with
those who defend our country. I've seen their decency and unselfish
courage. I assure you, the cause of freedom is in really good hands. I
am
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proud of our military. They deserve--and I want to thank the vets who
are here today for having set such a great example for those who wear
our uniform.
I made a commitment to our troops and their loved ones, they'll have
all the resources they need to do their jobs. That's why I submitted a
supplemental funding request to the Congress last September for $87
billion, money needed for fuel and spare parts and body armor and
equipment, ammunition, hazard pay, health benefits, to support our
troops in combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan, see. And that proposal
received bipartisan support, strong bipartisan support, except for 12
Members from the United States Senate who voted against the funding.
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. As a matter of fact, only four United States Senators
voted to authorize the use of force and then voted against the funding
for our troops.
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. Two of those four are my runningmate and his opponent.
Audience members. Boo-o-o!
The President. So they asked him how could he
have done that. He said, ``I actually did vote for the $87 billion,
before I voted against it.'' Now, we've got some motorcycle drivers
here? [Applause] Yes. I suspect you guys don't talk that way. They
pressed him further, he said he was proud of his vote, and then he just
said, ``The whole thing was a complicated matter''--his words. Here are
my words: There's nothing complicated about supporting our troops in
combat.
We'll continue to work with nations around the world. We have some
40 nations in Afghanistan, nearly 30 in Iraq. These are strong, fine
allies, who are making the same sacrifices we are to send their troops
to secure the world and make the world more free. During the next 4
years, I'll continue to build alliances and work with our friends. But I
will never turn over America's national security decisions to leaders of
other countries.
I believe in the transformational power of liberty. The wisest use
of American strength is to advance freedom. I believe that America is
called to lead the cause of freedom. You know, I spend time with Prime
Minister Koizumi of Japan. He's a friend.
Not all that long ago, though, his country was at war with us. Matter of
fact, my dad, I'm sure your dad or granddad
fought a bloody war against the Japanese. But because my predecessor
Harry Truman and others believed in the power of liberty to transform
lives and nations, after World War II, we worked with Japan to develop a
democracy, and today I sit down at the same table with Prime Minister
Koizumi to discuss the peace.
Liberty can change nations from enemies to friends. Liberty will
change--liberty will help transform Iraq from tyranny to a free and just
society. Some day an American leader will be sitting down at the table
with an elected Iraqi leader, saying thank goodness this generation of
Americans had great faith in the value of liberty, and they will be
discussing the peace. I believe this because I know that freedom is not
America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each
man and woman in this world.
With the right leadership, this young century will be liberty's
century. It will be a century of freedom. By promoting freedom at home
and abroad, we will build a safer world and a more hopeful America.
For all Americans, these years in our history will stand apart. See,
there are quiet times in the life of nation when little is expected of
its leader. This is not one of those times. This is times where we need
firm resolve and great faith in the values that make us a wonderful
country.
None of us will ever forget that week when one era ended and another
began. As I mentioned last night, I stood in the ruins of the Twin
Towers on September
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the 14th, 2001. It's a day I will never forget. There were workers in
hardhats there, yelling at the top of their lungs, ``Whatever it
takes.'' I was thanking--I was trying to thank people as best as I
possibly could. I guy grabbed me by the arm. He looked me in the eye,
and he said, ``Do not let me down.'' Every day I wake up thinking about
how better to protect America. I will never relent in defending our
country, whatever it takes.
I am so proud so many came out today. Laura
and I thank you for coming. When I traveled your State 4 years ago, I
made this pledge, that if you honored me with the great responsibility
of serving the American people, I would uphold the dignity and the honor
of the office to which I had been elected. With your help, with your
hard work, we will do so for the next 4 years.
God bless. Thank you all for coming. Thank you all.
Note: The President spoke at approximately 9:35 a.m. at Lackawanna
County Stadium. In his remarks, he referred to former Lt. Gov. Bill
Scranton of Pennsylvania; entertainer Mark Chesnutt; and Prime Minister
Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi Interim Government. The transcript released by
the Office of the Press Secretary also included the remarks of the First
Lady, who introduced the President.